Fighting Fate // Mattheo Riddle ♣️

Chapter Twenty-Two - Falling

Word Count: 3,473.

Warnings: None. 

By the time I was on my way to Care of Magical Creatures the following day, I had pushed my little memory spell far from my mind. Unfortunately, Riddle hadn't.

"What the hell was that last night Lyra?" he asked me as we made our way down the hill towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I was tired. Sleep deprived," I tried, attempting to convince him... and myself.

The truth was that I had no idea what that was. One minute I was in the corridors of Hogwarts, the next I was standing in the Slytherin Common Room, having no memory of how I got there.

My heart raced at the thought that I wasn't in control of my actions for a period of time. No matter how short it seemed to be.

"How long was it between me going to Umbridge's office and showing up in the Common Room?" I asked Mattheo.

His mouth was open as if he was speaking and from the look on his face as I asked him the question, I definitely interrupted him.

"About two hours," he answered.

I turned away, facing ahead as we continued to walk. I wasn't in Umbridge's office for more than twenty minutes. What had I been doing for the rest of that time?

"Lyra," the boy tried, stopping me in my tracks. "Are you okay?"

I sighed. "I don't know yet. Give me some time to talk to the voices in my head and then I'll tell you."

He frowned, running a hand down my arm and lacing his fingers with mine. "I'm worried," he admitted. "I'm worried that something is going on."

"Something is going on," I told him. "This is just another addition, but i'm okay. I'm still here."

"For how long?" he asked, swallowing with a tensed jaw.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the growing knot in my stomach. "As long as I'm in control of my mind," I started. "Forever."

"And when you're not? When that power in your head decides to take over." He moved closer to me, placing a hand on my cheek.

"Well then you're going to have to talk it out of me," I tried but he didn't budge, looking at me with a pained expression.

"Time is running out, isn't it?"

I shook my head. "Hey, look. It was just a little slip up. I can't remember how I got back to my dorm. Big fucking deal."

I didn't tell him about the necklace. How it was clear that I had more than just walk back to my Common Room. I couldn't. He would definitely freak.

"Hey!" Draco called after us, moving back up the hill towards us. "Are you two coming?" he asked.

I nodded, quickly scurrying away from Mattheo approaching Draco's side.

"What was yesterday about?" I asked him quickly. Pushing all thought of the previous conversation out of my mind I put on my best scolding voice.

I felt Riddle appear on my other side, sliding his hand down my arm and interlacing our fingers together into a tight hold.

Draco tensed in front of me. "What about yesterday?" he asked, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

"You know, insulting Weasley's mother and Harry's mother," I explained, and he only got more nervous.

"Did that happen?" he tried to deflect the question.